Evidence about how a charity is having an impact was most likely to be valued by people, with 68 per cent of respondents agreeing this was important.

Regular updates on the charity’s work were seen as important by 57 per cent.

Identifying how an individual donation had been spent was seen as important by 54 per cent.

A standard thank you was regarded as important by 48 per cent and a personalised thank you was seen as important by 39 per cent.

The findings also show that while people of all ages appreciate correspondence from the charities they support, younger people are most likely to consider it important. Sixteen to twenty four year-olds are most likely to want evidence of impact and regular updates, with people less likely to find follow-up correspondence important as they get older.

Women are more likely than men to want progress reports on how their donation is being used, with 61% regarding it as important, compared with 54% of men.

The Charities Aid Foundation said the results of the survey suggest that charities should consider tailoring their communication to donors by age, recognising that younger people tend to be more keen to receive updates. UK Giving analysis published by CAF earlier this year found that 70% of people agreed they would be more inclined to give to charity if they knew how the money was directly helping.

Hannah Terrey, Head of Policy and Campaigns at the Charities Aid Foundation, said:

“These findings show that most people do not want their relationship with a charity to end when they donate. Those who give their money want to be kept informed about the work their chosen charity is doing. The generosity of people who give their time and money to a good cause is what makes voluntary organisations’ work possible, and we are fortunate that Britons consistently rank among the most generous people in the world.”